If She Never
by VeIaRrGtOh
Summary: Madison resents her newfound Dragonheart powers, so much so that she wishes she had never claimed them. But can she handle the alternative - a world where the battle was lost? She will face unbearable loss and find herself in a world where the Roses have taken Trinity and rule over those she loves. Post Dragon Heir. Rated T for some mature themes.
1. Chapter 1

_Hi all! This started out as a oneshot and quickly grew to be a little more involved. I started thinking about Madison's reluctance to be the Dragon Heir, and how things might have turned out if she had never embraced her destiny. In this story you'll get a little look at how I think each of our characters would have fared without Madison's actions. I hope you enjoy! Please review with any thoughts or suggestions._

_A/N: I own nothing._

* * *

Any usual day in early November would have delighted Madison Moss into delirium. Usually, this time of late fall was paradise in Ohio – the weather was crisp and chilly without being overwhelming. Winter was close at hand, promising to be wet, freezing and long, but the last of autumn was a beautiful time. Maddie loved to paint it, but try as she might, she could never quite capture the colors of the changing trees as they appeared in nature. And she knew she wasn't supposed to – autumn could never be replicated, but that made her thrill with delight.

Every day this week had been lovely in weather, and she had been perfectly happy all week. But today was different; she was unhappy and she didn't quite know why. This depression had come out of the blue, and Maddie could already feel it ruining her day.

She'd had days like this before of course, for many years now. Some days, all the responsibilities and troubles of her young life would gather before her and make her nervous and sad. She couldn't predict when she would feel like this – it would strike her on random days. She hated the thought that it was some artist personality trait to have "off" days, where she had no way to contain her misery.

She sat on the swing on the front porch of her house in Coal Grove, Ohio, and pondered her feelings, trying to discern what it was exactly that was bothering her. She decided it was probably several things. The approach of the cold months meant making the necessary repairs to the house's old hot water heater so they wouldn't freeze to death that winter, as well as buying new coats for Grace and John Robert, who had grown since last year. It would be frustrating to scrape together the funds she would need.

She also had planned a short trip up to the town of Trinity for tomorrow, to drop off some art projects and visit her cousin Rachel. But before she could make the trip to Trinity she would have to stop and use the remainder of her paycheck to buy gas – her truck was dangerously close to empty.

Worst of all, she had fought last night with Seph McCauley, who had been staying at her house for several weeks now.

She knew her argument with Seph had been a stupid one, and she had blown it way out of proportion – he had offered to take her truck and fill it up so she wouldn't have to before she left for Trinity. It was a purely innocent offer, but Madison had taken offense. Now she bit her lip in frustration. She really should have accepted Seph's offer – after all, he had plenty of money he wasn't using, and he was staying at her house, and he was her… boyfriend. _Yikes_, she thought. Even her subconscious rejected the word. Madison had been so independent her whole life that the idea of calling someone her boyfriend – even Seph, whom she loved completely – was weird. Maybe the idea of Seph as her boyfriend was also contributing to her mood.

Madison frowned. These were all little things that were annoying her. But they weren't the main source of her anxiety. She knew, deep down, that the main reason for her frustrations on this beautiful morning was her fear of her newfound powers.

Weeks earlier, Madison had become heir to a tremendous amount of power – and responsibility. In an attempt to take the Dragonheart stone from Trinity, she had been revealed as the descendent of the Dragonguard, and heir to the powers of the stone. In effect, she was now the ruler of the Weir guilds – wizards, enchanters, warriors, soothsayers and sorcerers – and she had power over them. But it was power that she feared, power that she didn't understand or want.

Seph had allowed her several generous weeks to adjust to her new role. But lately he wanted to talk about her powers and her destiny as the Dragon Heir. Meanwhile she would prefer to not think about it. At all. Madison had never wanted the kind of power that Seph and others wizards harnessed – she had grown up fearing it.

"Good morning," a voice spoke from behind her and she turned to see Seph exiting the front door, a mug of coffee in each hand. He offered her one and sat down beside her on the porch swing. His hair was unruly from sleep, and his eyes looked bleary and puffy, but he still looked utterly handsome. His health had been improving steadily since he came to stay with her in Coal Grove, and he was back to a proper weight and size. He looked at her with slight apprehension.

"Sorry about last night," he said softly, even though of course Madison knew he had nothing to be sorry about. "I was out of line, I didn't mean to say anything or- or hurt your feelings in any way-" he stumbled around the words, and Maddie felt her heart melt as she watched him try to find any way to keep from saying "Sorry if I hurt your feelings because you're poor and I'm not."

She shook her head at him. "Don't bother," she said. "I overreacted. I'm the one who needs to be sorry." Maybe if she fixed things up with Seph, her mood might improve.

He leaned over and kissed her lightly on the cheek, and she smiled faintly.

"Did you want to come with me tomorrow to Trinity?" she asked, changing the subject. "Say hello to everyone?"

Seph took a sip of his coffee. "Not… particularly," he grinned at her sheepishly. "I mean, I miss everyone and all, but I am in no hurry to get back to Trinity just yet if you know what I mean." And she did. She couldn't blame him if he never wanted to return to the scene of the battle with the Roses ever again.

They heard the unmistakable crash of a cereal bowl from the open window behind them. Madison sighed; she could feel her temper flaring now with her rotten mood.

"I'll get them," Seph said quickly, and went back into the house. Madison could hear John Robert making excuses about the fallen cereal bowl, and Seph's low voice assuring him it was alright. Madison put her face in her hands – Seph was a godsend right now. With her current disposition, it would be a different scene entirely if she had gone in to clean it up.

She took a deep, shaky breath and looked out at the yard as the morning sun crept slowly across to the west. A beautiful, beautiful day.

But she couldn't suppress the bad feeling. Everything was different now, and there was no going back. There was a certain finality to the Dragonheart power that now coursed through her fingertips, and she hated the idea of being locked into something for life. She'd been given no choice when it came to the power of the Dragon – it had called to her until she submitted. Now things would never go back to the way they used to be, and she wasn't sure that was a good thing. She had power now, yes, but she had never wanted power. She had wanted to stay out of the stupid wizard wars, but she'd been dragged into them regardless. And now she couldn't shake the feeling that her mood was a direct result of her ignoring the power of the Dragonheart.

In her heart, she wished it was someone else's destiny to be the Dragon Heir – she just wanted to be Madison Moss. She resented the power. She wished she didn't have it, didn't have to bear the responsibility.

She looked out at the yard, and her sadness and fear were so overwhelming today that the beautiful things she usually admired and painted had no shine for her today. She closed her eyes and breathed deeply, hoping that at least tomorrow things would look better.

* * *

_This is just the beginning. Stay tuned for a terrifying look at Trinity under the clutches of the Roses, an unforeseen twist in Jack and Ellen's relationship, and a shocking discovery for Madison._


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N: I own nothing._

* * *

Things _did_ look slightly better the next day. Madison still had to spend a small fortune buying gas for the truck, but the day was just as beautiful and bright as yesterday, and she looked forward to the long drive ahead of her – though it would be a solitary one, she would enjoy the air and the views, and she looked forward to showing off her paintings when she dropped them off to Sara. Then Rachel would probably treat her to lunch, and she could swing by to say a quick hello to Jack and Ellen, and hopefully Will if he was home for the weekend. She knew Fitch wouldn't be there – he was away at Stanford and wouldn't be back until the end of his semester.

She got up to leave early – her mother was gone, already to work, but Seph, Grace and John Robert still slept, so she decided not to wake them. She started the truck and headed north.

The drive was beautiful – the leaves had just reached the point where they were at their most colorful. In the next couple of days, they would all start to fall, but for now, they were perfect. Madison resisted the urge to pull over and paint – she had things to do today. And she was determined to be happy and productive today in order to make up for yesterday. She felt better – it was as if the power of the Dragonheart had decided not to nag at her today.

She smiled as she passed the sign welcoming her to Trinity, home of so many champion sports teams. She shook her head – she would never understand small towns and their crazy affinity for high school sports.

With a start she realized that many of the outlying buildings leading into the center of town had yet to be fully repaired from the destruction of the battle some months previously. She felt a tiny twinge of guilt that she and Seph hadn't stuck around to help rebuild like Jack and Ellen had – but then again, Seph had been the one to keep the town mostly intact, and she had done a little something to stop the battle, after all.

Madison decided to head straight to the Legends to park. She could walk to the college from there, and then back to meet Rachel for lunch. She was surprised but pleased to see that the parking lot for the Inn was full, and after a few fruitless laps looking for a parking spot, she pulled out of the lot and down a side street to park. Business must be good for Rachel, she supposed. She put the truck in park and got out, reaching into the back seat to pull out her artwork.

"_Madison_!?" A surprised voice accosted her, and she almost shrieked at the nearness of it. Jack Swift, tall and broad as ever, was suddenly right next to her, staring.

"Jack!" she said, letting out a shaky laugh. "You scared me! How are you?" She moved to give him a hug, but the look on his face stopped her in her tracks. "What?" she asked confusedly.

Jack simply looked stunned. "What are you doing here?" he asked, his voice low and urgent.

"I…" Madison was slightly put out – not exactly the welcome she'd been expecting. Maybe they _were_ mad that she had skipped town and the cleanup effort. "I'm just visiting Rachel and dropping off some artwork…"

Jack looked anxiously around them, even right over Madison's head at the alley behind her. He was so tall compared to her that he was simply looking around at his own eye level, but it annoyed her slightly, how he seemed to look everywhere except her. "Come on," he hissed suddenly, grabbing her arm. "It's not safe out in the open."

He pulled her across the street, hurrying toward the woods next to the Legends Inn. Madison was too shocked to protest, and she certainly knew she couldn't break Jack's powerful grip even if she wanted to. The trees around the Legends still held onto their leaves, and Jack pushed her hurriedly under their cover, glancing everywhere around them like prey searching for the source of its instinctive fear.

"Jack!" Maddie finally managed to bluster. "What is this about? What's wrong?"

He stopped once they were several yards into the woods and let her go, staring at her as if he had never seen anything like her before. It was several seconds before he said anything.

"Madison… What are you doing back here? How did you get in? Did anyone see you?"

She frowned at him, honestly confused by his odd behavior.

"I… drove?" she suggested weakly. "And I told you, I'm dropping off some work and seeing Rachel. You remember her, right? You know, my cousin." He didn't answer. "Are you ok, Jack?"

He exhaled, still staring at her. "The Anaweir. I forget sometimes how normal their lives still are. They're able to come and go."

"What?" Madison looked around. Was this some sort of practical joke? Why was he being so weird and rude?

Jack looked at her warily, as if he was deciding whether or not to come closer to her.

"You're not… you're not working for them, are you?" he asked. There was something in his eyes Maddie thought might have been fear. She had only seen it there once before – when Ellen had fallen on the battlefield protecting Maddie, and Jack feared for her life. She shuddered – the fear in his eyes made her immensely uncomfortable.

"Working for who, Jack?" Her confusion was slowly turning to concern. Jack looked as if he thought there was actually something very wrong with her being there. She hovered awkwardly when he didn't answer and looked at her watch – she was running short on time. Sara had asked her to drop by before 11, as she had lectures all day after that. Madison decided to move on from Jack's last question. "I'm just here for the day – I literally just drove here from Coalton County."

"You just… decided to come back," Jack said slowly, his eyes combing her face, searching for something.

"Well, yeah," she answered slowly. "I mean the main reason I'm here is because my former art teacher is getting some of my work in a local gallery. Cool huh?" she added, smiling, hoping to get some sort of normal reaction from him.

His eyes continued to bore into her, but he seemed to be relaxing slightly. "What's your art teacher's name?"

"Sara Mignon. Do you know her?"

"Yeah," Jack exhaled again, long and loud. "She works with my mom. She's Anaweir."

"Well, yeah," Maddie said lamely. There was an awkward silence – or, at least, awkward on her part. Jack continued to stare at her, unfazed. He seemed to relax slightly – something in her concerned look had calmed him. Jack wasn't a drinker or a user – but if she had to guess, he looked slightly strung out on something.

"Umm, well I was hoping to see you actually, to say hi," she said, stepping back toward the edge of the woods. "But maybe we can catch up a little later today? I just have to get this stuff to the gallery before 11."

"You shouldn't go out there in the open," Jack said, stepping back toward her. "It's not safe."

"Not safe?" Maddie said, looking alarmed. But then she smiled slightly. "What – from wizards? I think I can handle myself at this point."

"Maddie, really, you can't," he grabbed her arm again, but now she was getting annoyed.

"Jack, what the hell are you talking about, what's wrong?" she fumed. "I have to go, ok? Can I talk to you later?"

He loosened his grip on her arm and she shrugged him off.

"I'm sorry," he said, and it was the softest she had ever heard him speak. "I just… honestly thought I'd never see you again."

Maddie stopped in her tracks and turned to look at him.

"Jack…" she started, not sure whether that comment should worry her or make her laugh. She decided to laugh nervously. "I'm only a county away." She paused. "I've got to go, but I'll call you later ok? We can all hang out for a bit before I go back. Oh, and Seph says hi," she added, turning to go back to her car and hoping Jack would feel better later in the day.

"What?" his voice, alarmed once again, came from behind her. She turned around again to face him, and the staring was back.

"Seph," she said slowly.

He stared at her, pain making his normally strong, likable face crumple. "You don't know," he breathed.

"Know what? Jack, what is going on?" she said, her voice rising slightly. "Should I call someone?"

"Maddie…" Jack looked down at the ground, and then back up at her, and his voice was full of the pain that was reflected on his gaunt face. "Maddie, Seph's dead."


	3. Chapter 3

_A/N: I own nothing._

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Madison stared at Jack for a long moment. She was actually concerned for him.

"…That's not funny," she said lamely, feeling much angrier than she sounded. She backed away a couple of steps. "I'm going now."

"Maddie, please!" He followed her, but didn't grab her again. "I know, I know you don't want to hear it, but it's the truth!"

"I don't even really have to debate this with you, because you're clearly going through some kind of episode here," Madison said crossly as she stomped across the dirt and roots back toward her car. "But I literally spoke to him yesterday so I'm pretty sure your point is moot."

"That's impossible," Jack stopped in his tracks, and she turned around to face him angrily, her hands on her hips. He appeared deep in thought, though he stared at her, seemingly trying to determine if she was lying. "Unless the Roses are messing with you somehow. But then they'd know you were here, and I don't think they know about you…"

"I haven't seen any of the Roses for months!" she spat angrily.

"Well, yeah, because they've been here for the past 6 months," Jack said defiantly.

Maddie paused, honestly wondering where he was going with this. "…What?"

"I'm sorry you've come back into this," Jack said sadly. "But the Roses – well, you remember, we told you about them, and the Council of Wizards and everything – they're here. They attacked Trinity back in June, and they've essentially been ruling the place ever since. We tried to fight them, we all did, but…" he looked at her with a defeated expression. "There just wasn't enough of us. It was too much."

Maddie looked around at the trees surrounding them. _Great. Just great_. She could already feel a pounding headache coming on. She looked forward to another great day, just like yesterday, though this time it was courtesy of Jack Swift. This had to be his stupid idea of a practical joke.

"This is a joke right?" she said crossly. "You and Ellen are pulling something on me right now? Look, I'm sorry if you're mad I left, but I had to! I have a brother and sister at home to take care of."

"I know," Jack said. "I'm just glad you got out when you did. And I'm sorry you had to hear about Seph like this." He stepped closer to her again, as if to offer comfort, and she took a step back. He looked at the ground. "I'm so sorry, Maddie."

Madison looked at Jack carefully – he was no actor, and he seemed genuinely upset. If this was a practical joke, it was the worst one ever.

"Better stick to fighting, Jack," Madison said. "Humor isn't your specialty."

He looked grimly back at her. "I wish I was joking," he said. "It's the truth."

Madison hesitated – was it possible the Roses had returned and taken over Trinity since she and Seph had left some months earlier? But Jack had said they attacked in June. That much was true, but the Trinity faction had _won _that battle. What Jack was saying didn't match up with how she remembered it. She snorted.

"You're saying the Roses are back?" she asked slowly. "How can that be?"

"They wanted to put a stop to our little revolution here in Trinity," he said. "We have the Dragonheart here still – you remember it, right?"

At this, Maddie was at a loss for words. Jack had _been_ _there_ at the end of the battle, when she was revealed as the Dragon Heir – he had watched her transform with his own two eyes, had he not? What was he talking about?

"All the Weir are drawn to this Dragonheart thing," he continued. "And we tried to keep the Roses out, because Longbranch, Wylie and D'Orsay wanted to use it to consecrate that Covenant that was made at Second Sister – you know, it would basically enslave the Anawizard Weir again, and stomp out anyone who got in their way," he sighed. "But there weren't enough of us, and there were too many of them, and they broke us down eventually. Seph did an awesome job protecting us," he looked up at her, sympathy and admiration in his eyes. "They knew he was too powerful for them. That's why they killed him."

Maddie shook her head. "Jack – I don't understand what you're talking about. I mean, the Roses and D'Orsay came back, ok, but Seph… Seph's staying with me in Coal Grove, remember? He's fine." But she trembled as she said it. Jack's words were confusing and hurt her to hear, even if she knew they couldn't – couldn't _possibly_ – be true.

Now it was Jack's turn to look angry. "I get it, Maddie. You can have your denial stage, I understand. But I saw them kill Seph with my own eyes. It's the truth. I'm sorry. They killed him, and then they killed Nick Snowbeard. And then they brought Leander Hastings back from England and killed him here too, in another public execution." His voice was hollow now. "And I'm sure you wish Seph came back with you, but I'm sure he was just glad you got out of here when you did." His voice broke a little. "We were all glad you got out when you did. And now you have to leave, before they discover you're here."

"Yeah, I'll be leaving soon," Maddie said softly. She hurriedly wiped away the tears that had sprung to her eyes – she had no idea why Jack was saying these things, but it was making her upset. She had to find Ellen, or Mrs. Swift, to find out what was wrong with him. Perhaps he had just finally cracked under the strain of the war and the pressure of being one of the last known warriors of the Weir. Surely the things he was saying couldn't be true. It was impossible.

"I'm sorry, Maddie," Jack put a hand on her shoulder, and he did look so very, very sorry to cause her pain. He ran a hand through his hair and cleared his throat. "I've got to get back to my patrol anyway, they're going to be missing me. Just get out of town Maddie, before they find you. Just forget you ever came back here."

"Actually, ummm," Madison glanced at her watch. 11:14. Sara would have left her studio by now to go teach her class. But whatever was wrong with Jack was more urgent – he needed some kind of help, clearly. She'd have to find Rachel, or Ellen – Ellen would know what to do. "What do you mean, to your patrol?"

He walked back with her toward the edge of the woods. He grimaced. "I'm slave labor now basically. They've roped me into guard duty, rebuilding the town, dinner entertainment – whatever they need." His blue eyes seemed to darken like the sky before a gathering storm. "I can't do anything about it – they've got Ellen, and I don't even know where they're holding my mom."

"What?" Madison gasped.

Anger rippled through every syllable as Jack spoke. "That's why you've got to get out of here – I can't let them take you hostage too."

Madison could only sputter back at him. They had reached the edge of the woods, and she looked over at her car, suddenly fearful. She couldn't doubt Jack when he was so angry – he couldn't be making that up, could he? Her resolve was wavering, and she felt confusion and fear writhing together in her stomach. What was going on here?

Jack looked up and down the alley. "I think it's clear," he announced. "Get back in your truck and head straight out of town, ok? Please, Madison. Forget you ever came here," he said again. Jack had only a fraction of the wizard power Seph had, but she still felt a little prod in her resolve, something urging her to listen to his command. She realized what he was doing and shook her head stubbornly.

"If what you say is true and the Roses are here, then I'm going to help," she said crossly to him. She couldn't believe she was even saying this. "Where are they? Longbranch and Wylie? I can take care of them."

"No!" Jack hissed. "I'm serious, I want you to get out of here."

"It's not your choice," she said, sticking her chin out as she did when she argued with her mother. "Besides, my cousin runs the Inn. If the Roses are here then I have to get her and any other Anaweir out of here."

Jack shook his head. "I'm not sure if Rachel's still at the Inn," he said darkly. "That's where they're all staying – D'Orsay and Longbranch and Wylie and more. It's like the Legends has become the new Raven's Ghyll."

"Well, I have to try," she said.

"I can't let you do that," he said, a hard edge to his voice. "You'd be walking right into the snake pit. You really should just get out while you can."

"Jack, I'm not leaving until we figure this out," she said angrily. "The Roses were supposed to have been taken care of months ago. It seems they've already forgotten their fear of dragons," she said crossly. Jack just looked blankly back at her, as if she were the crazy one.

"I'm going to the Legends," she said, stepping out of the cover of trees. Jack pulled her back.

"Maddie, please, I'm begging, literally begging," he said. "Seph wouldn't want this-"

"I'm going."

Jack appeared torn. He was looking up and down the deserted street again, searching for something Maddie couldn't see. He hovered from foot to foot.

"I can't stop you," he said "I literally can't, or they'll find you anyway, because they'll be missing me from my post. Just keep your head down, ok? There's a huge chance they'll recognize you from what you did at Second Sister. If you can't find your cousin, then find Ellen – she's on the third floor of the Inn in one of the rooms, and she'll hide you until we can figure out what to do."

"What are you going to do?" Maddie asked in a hushed whisper.

"I have to go back on duty," he said. "I'll find a way to contact you, and get you and Rachel out of here. I promise." He looked up and down the street one last time. "Ok, if you're going, then go now – I have to get back to the front of the Inn, and I can't be seen anywhere near you or they'll get suspicious."

Maddie stepped out of the trees and felt suddenly exposed, as if she had stepped naked into the center of town and started screaming taunts at the Roses.

"Wait, are they there now?" Maddie hissed back at the trees. "Are the wizards at the Inn?"

"I think some of them may be," Jack whispered back. "Not Longbranch or D'Orsay at the moment, I know that much. So if you're going, get in and get out!"

That was the last Madison heard – she was off and running toward her car, successfully terrified that a wizard would swoop down on her at any moment. She slowed only enough to not slam into the truck, and turned to see Jack sprint out of the trees toward the front of the Inn. She took several deep breaths and then sprinted to the side of the Legends Inn. She clung to the walls, inching her way silently toward the kitchen entrance. She opened the door and hurried inside. She still remembered it well, after working here for so many months. There was no one in the kitchen, but he heard pots and pans clanging in the pantry just off the kitchen, so in one swift motion she grabbed a baseball cap from the hat rack by the door and walked swiftly to the dining room.

She stifled a gasp – right next to the entrance of the kitchen was a wizard. He sat at a table with his back to her, drinking tea and reading a large, ancient-looking spell book. She did not recognize him, but he gave off a glow that showed he was immensely powerful. She skirted noiselessly behind him and tugged the cap on, pulling it low over her face. The wizard didn't even look up, and she exhaled as she stepped into the main foyer of the Inn.

The entrance hall was full of wizards as well as Anawizard Weir and Anaweir. It seemed busy enough that no one would recognize or notice her. She glanced at the front desk, where Rachel would sometimes work if she was understaffed, but there was an Anaweir girl standing there, seemingly enthralled by the wizard who was charming her. Madison looked around the hall – no sign of Rachel. All the other Anaweir she was able to pick out had vacant looks in their eyes – a product of the wizards they were obligated to serve, it appeared. She hurried past the office that had always been Rachel's and glanced inside – empty. Maddie couldn't see her in the library, the café or any of the first floor reception rooms. She expanded her search breathlessly to the upstairs, dashing hurriedly from hall to hall, listening and looking. When someone would pass her in the hall she would keep her head down until they had passed.

Madison had no idea if all the wizards she was seeing were indeed members of the Roses, as Jack had said, or if they had come to Trinity seeking sanctuary, like Seph had. And Seph… why would Jack say those things? She pushed it out of mind. There was clearly something wrong with Jack, but it seemed that there may be some truth to his statements – the Legends _was_ crawling with wizards, after all.

She had reached the stairs to the third and top floor – she doubted Rachel would be up here, unless she was supervising the cleaning. But Jack had said Ellen would be up here. If the Roses were really here, was she a prisoner? If so, would Madison be able to speak to her? And how was she to know which room held Ellen?

She looked around hopelessly when she reached the top floor. She could knock on all of the doors, but somehow she didn't think that was a good idea in a hotel full of wizards who might not appreciate her looking for their captive warrior.

But then the last door on the hall caught her eye – all the doors bore locks, but this one looked as if it had several additional locks and bolts added recently. The door looked thicker than the others too, as if it had been reinforced – perhaps to keep a young warrior in. As she walked toward it, she also realized there was a faint haze around the door, as if it were covered in a spell. Madison took a deep breath and knocked on the door. No response. She tentatively started to undo the bolts – thankfully none required a key. She turned the latch, her heart pounding in her ears, and opened the door slowly, tensed to run should it not be Ellen on the other side.

But it was Ellen's familiar face that looked up from the bed she sat on. Her expression was wary at first, as if she was expecting someone unpleasant. But Madison watched as the look on her face turned to one of shock and then happiness.

"Maddie!?" Ellen gasped. "How did you get in here? What are you doing here?"

Madison quickly entered the room and shut the door quickly behind her, hardly daring to believe that she had made it, and that she had found Ellen.

"Jack told me where to look for you," she gasped, coming forward. "Are you ok?"

"I'm alright," Ellen stood, ready to embrace her friend, but Madison stopped in her tracks. For when Ellen had raised herself to her full height, she had revealed something Madison hadn't been able to see when Ellen was sitting. Ellen's body was the same, long and strong and beautiful, but her stomach, normally so toned and flat, had rounded out in the unmistakable weight of pregnancy.

* * *

_Hope you're enjoying so far! My next update will take a couple of days, because unfortunately Chapter 4 was lost. If anyone knows anything about retrieving lost passwords for Word documents, please let me know _ :P


	4. Chapter 4

_A/N: So I had this entire chapter written and lost it, and it always feels like it never turns out quite as good as the first copy. Alas. But I think I did myself justice, and I hope you enjoy. _

_I own nothing._

* * *

Madison gaped at the Warrior in front of her, too stunned to move or speak.

"Ellen," she breathed after a moment. "What have they done to you?"

"Oh this?" Ellen tried to laugh, gesturing to her stomach, but it sounded forced. "Just put on a little weight is all." But Madison only stared back at her. She put her hands to her mouth as if she might be sick. Ellen stepped forward, took Madison's hands and led her to the bed.

"No fainting allowed," Ellen smiled weakly as she sat Madison down on the bed. But her smile faded, and she peered intently at Madison.

"Madison, how did you get in here?" Ellen asked, once it appeared that Madison forced herself to continue breathing. "Why did you come back?"

"I drove here this morning," Madison answered meekly.

Ellen frowned. "You shouldn't have come back."

"That's what I've been hearing," Madison said, but she couldn't tear her eyes away from Ellen's stomach. "Ellen, what-"

"You're in danger here," Ellen interrupted. "Did anyone see you?"

"I don't think so," Madison said, putting her hands to her cheeks, feeling herself growing hot and panicky. "I saw Jack outside, he told me where you were-"

Ellen scowled. "Did Jack tell you to come up here?"

"Well, no," Madison admitted. "He told me to get the heck out of dodge, but I just- I was hoping to find you, or Rachel-"

"Rachel?" Ellen asked, a confused look on her face. "Rachel's your cousin, right?"

"Yes," Madison said. "And she's supposed to be running this place, but I can't find her anywhere."

Ellen frowned in thought. "I haven't seen her here for a long time," she said. "Though, to be honest, I haven't seen much of anyone for a long time."

At this, Madison could no longer control herself. She had never been one for panic attacks, but she supposed at the way today was going, it was only a matter of time. She felt foolish – she was normally one to never shed a tear, but she couldn't stop the tears from falling down her cheeks. It was all too much.

"Ellen," she gasped. "Please, please tell me what's going on here. Why-" But she could barely finish her sentence. It felt as if her lungs were rejecting air.

"Oh, Maddie, please don't be upset," Ellen jumped up and grabbed a box of tissues from on top of a nearby dresser. Madison couldn't help but marvel at how gracefully Ellen moved, even in pregnancy, and the thought only made her cry harder. Ellen brought the tissues back to Madison, and she blew her nose loudly. Ellen put a hand on Madison's arm and looked concerned. "It's really ok. I didn't mean to upset you, it's just that… well, why on earth did you come back here?"

"I- I was-" Madison shook her head from side to side to compose herself. It worked – a little. "I was going to visit Rachel, and drop off some artwork for my classes. But then I met Jack outside- Ellen, please help me make sense of this. What is going on?"

Ellen looked at Madison sympathetically, and a bit warily. "How much did Jack tell you?"

Madison gulped. "He told me that- that the Roses and D'Orsay attacked Trinity, and that they've taken over. But that- it can't be true, I was looking for you to see what was wrong with him!"

Ellen nodded sadly. "I'm sorry Maddie, but it is true. The Roses attacked, and we held them off for as long as we could, but there were just too many of them," she bit her lip. "They've taken over Trinity, and all the Anawizard Weir are their prisoners. And they've moved into the Legends too – it's become their new Raven's Ghyll. Your cousin Rachel might still be running the Inn, but if she is, it's only as a pretense. D'Orsay and the others run things around here now."

Madison was silent for a moment. She pushed the panic in her stomach away. She had been counting on Ellen to rebuke everything Jack had told her. It couldn't be. It was impossible.

"Jack… Jack said that the Roses… they killed Nick and Hastings and… and Seph," Madison said, looking at Ellen for a reaction that would tell her it wasn't true, but she saw tears well up in Ellen's eyes.

"It's true," Ellen said sadly. "I'm so sorry, Maddie. He was a threat to them. There were so many of them, at the end of the battle, we couldn't get anywhere near him…" Ellen trailed off and looked away.

Madison put her head in her hands. This was ludicrous. How could Jack and Ellen be so wrong? She _remembered_ the battle, remembered _winning. _What was going on? She felt Ellen's hand on her back.

"I'm sorry, Maddie," Ellen said soothingly. Madison felt horribly ashamed that it was Ellen comforting her, and not the other way around. She looked back at Ellen's stomach, as if hoping the bump wouldn't be there. Maybe she had imagined it. But it was still there, undeniable evidence of something gone horribly wrong.

"Ellen…" Madison whispered. "Please tell me something that makes sense. You- you're-"

Ellen smiled sadly back at her. "Yeah, I am," she said simply. She appeared deep in thought. "What's today?"

"November 17."

"Then I'm just about 5 months in," Ellen said. "I know I'm due in mid-April."

Madison was at a loss for words. She had never imagined having this conversation with Ellen Stephenson of all people, or at least not for many years.

"Does Jack know?" Madison asked.

Ellen paused. "He knows. It's his baby."

Madison felt her mouth fall open. Ellen ran her hands through her hair. "Urghhh, Maddie, it's been awful since you left," she said. "It's like it used to be years ago when the wizards were in charge, except worse. They rule absolute now. Warriors, enchanters, sorcerers and seers – everyone in Trinity now is the property of the Roses," her gray eyes flashed angrily. "They set up shop here, destroyed the sanctuary, and made it like it used to be in Raven's Ghyll. Trinity's like their new command post. They have plans to reinstate all the old traditions, and among them, the tournament." She grimaced at Madison. "The problem is, they need warriors to have tournaments, and Jack and I are the only ones left that they know of." Ellen turned red as she continued. "So… they're trying to create more."

Madison felt sick as the truth sunk in. Jack and Ellen, the last two known warriors. Surely their child would also be a warrior.

"We didn't have a choice," Ellen explained, her voice hollow. She looked down at her hands. "They had killed Seph and the others, and they threatened Will and Fitch and Becka Swift if we didn't cooperate."

"Ellen," Madison breathed. She was too repulsed to cry now.

"I'm ok, really," Ellen said. "There was a time, for a little while, when I didn't want to do it." Her voice became very quiet. "When I first found out, I wanted to get rid of the baby. I didn't want to bring a baby into this life," she looked from her hands at Madison. Ellen's face was wracked with guilt, but her eyes begged Madison to understand. "Because I knew exactly what my baby's life would be like, because it happened to me. They would take the baby away from me, and it would be raised by a warriormaster, trained to fight and kill. And then they would make my baby play in the tournament, and I couldn't-" Ellen broke off with a stifled sob and turned her face away. Madison felt as if she could scarcely breathe. She understood what Ellen couldn't say – the tournament was a fight to the death, with only one victor. Even if a warrior were to win, there would always be another tournament, and another, and another. The chances of survival were slim.

Ellen took a shaky breath. "But I'm ok now," she continued. "Jack talked me out of it. He said he's been looking for a way to get us out of here. He said we'll get out of here before the baby's born."

"We will," Madison said, meaning to assure Ellen, but she knew the words sounded hollow. None of this was making sense.

Before she could say anything else, they heard a noise from the hallway. Ellen's entire body stiffened.

"Longbranch," she hissed. "I'm expecting her. Quick, hide."

Before Madison even knew what was going on, Ellen had grabbed her by the hand and pulled her around the bed toward the closet. Ellen opened the closet door with one hand and ushered Madison inside with the other. It was mostly empty, save for a few folded blankets and towels on the shelf. Madison shut the closet door with a snap and retreated as far back into the space as she could go. She heard the bed creak as Ellen sat down on it just as the bedroom door opened.

"Good morning, Ellen," Madison heard the unmistakable voice of Dr. Jessamine Longbranch cut through the room like a sterile scalpel. She raised herself as quietly as possible to her knees and leaned forward to peer through the keyhole in the closet door. That was one of the perks of the Legends being such an antique, Madison thought – actual keyholes. The keyhole only afforded her limited scope, but Madison could make out Ellen, sitting on the bed, unmoving, her arms crossed, and Longbranch, staring at the warrior from the doorway. Madison clapped her hands over her mouth to keep from gasping – Longbranch shone with the familiar light of an extremely powerful wizard – at least that was how it looked to Madison's eyes. She had always been able to pick wizards out in a crowd because of the way their power appeared to her, as an illumination from their bodies. But Longbranch no longer had power – Madison had seen to that when she had removed Longbranch's Weirstone last summer. How was it possible that she had magic now? But Longbranch had started talking again, and Madison pushed her questions out of mind to focus on what the wizard was saying.

"How are we feeling today?" Longbranch asked.

Ellen waited a beat before answering. "Fine."

"Any more stomach pains?" Longbranch queried. Her gaze was cold and calculating.

"No."

Longbranch gestured, and Ellen stood up and moved to the corner of the room and out of Madison's line of sight. Madison heard what she supposed were the sounds of tests being taken – she heard puffs of air she associated with blood pressure being measured. The bedroom door opened and her attention was diverted toward the motion. Two men entered, pushing a large, black machine on wheels between them into the room. The machine had a large digital display screen and more buttons than Madison could count. The two men didn't shine like wizards, but they looked all too knowledgeable of the situation to be Anaweir. Madison had never seen either of them before, but she supposed they might be sorcerers or soothsayers, held prisoner in Trinity by the Roses. The two men were unacknowledged by Longbranch, and together they pushed the machine next to the bed and walked back out of the room, shooting furtive and sympathetic glances toward where Longbranch and Ellen still worked in the corner.

After another minute or two of silence, Ellen moved back in Madison's periphery. She walked to the bed and sat back against the headboard. She lifted her legs up and stretched them out in front of her, and Madison couldn't help but marvel again at Ellen's graceful movements despite her growing stomach.

"What is that?" Ellen asked, looking at the machine next to the bed.

"An ultrasound," Longbranch answered, turning the machine on and starting to connect several of the wires. "We're going to be checking in on the baby today." Longbranch continued connecting wires and pressing buttons. Soon, the screen flickered to life.

Madison had gone with her mother to an ultrasound when Carlene had been pregnant with John Robert. She knew it could be a little unpleasant, so she bristled with rage when Longbranch yanked Ellen's shirt up to leave her stomach bare. Ellen winced slightly as Longbranch squeezed some of the cold gel onto Ellen's stomach and began to spread it around using the sensor handle. Moments passed in silence, but Madison could see both Ellen and Longbranch staring at the monitor intently. Longbranch moved the sensor around Ellen's stomach in slow circles.

"There we are," Longbranch said after a time, looking at the monitor. Madison couldn't see anything on the screen from her position. "Hmmm. Looks healthy. Big for 16 weeks." She glanced at Ellen with a cruel smirk. "You know, I'm very pleased with how this has been going so far. It's very promising. Wylie, as usual, didn't want to wait, but I think this is going to be well worth it." She paused, as if waiting for a reaction, and then continued. "You've been doing well. Jackson, on the other hand, doesn't have much to do lately. I've been thinking of trying him out with some other recipients. Might as well, seeing as how you're out of commission for another couple of months." Ellen either hadn't heard Longbranch or was very good at ignoring the inference – she only had eyes for the display on the monitor. Longbranch turned back to look at the screen.

"Congratulations," she said flatly after a moment. She smiled at Ellen, but it was insincere. "You're having a bouncing baby boy."

Madison felt tears well in her eyes. She balled her hands into tight fists – it was all she could do to keep from attacking Longbranch right then and there. The only thing that held her back was the fear that Ellen might get hurt in the crossfire.

Ellen was still staring at the screen as Longbranch stood and began to turn the machine off, disconnecting the wires and pushing the ultrasound against the wall so it was out of the way.

"Keep up the good work, Ellen," she said carelessly as she turned to leave the room. But just as she reached out to turn the door handle, she stopped short. "I wonder…" Longbranch appeared to be deep in thought. She pulled a small silver cone from her pocket and strode back toward Ellen. "Usually we can't tell in fetuses younger than 20 weeks, but it's always worth a try…" Madison watched as she placed the cone against Ellen's stomach and waited for a moment, as if listening. Then her face lit up with excitement, and she let out a sound almost like a hiss. "A warrior," she breathed. With one last cruel smile for Ellen, she left the room, snapping the door shut behind her.

Madison waited several minutes after Longbranch left before opening the closet door. Ellen sat unmoving on the bed, her hand cradled under the bump in her stomach. Longbranch hadn't bothered to clean off the remains of the ultrasound gel, so Madison got a towel from the bathroom to wipe the stuff off Ellen's stomach. Still, Ellen said nothing.

"Ellen?" Madison murmured. Ellen looked up at the sound of her name. Pain Madison never could have imagined was etched in every inch of Ellen's face, and suddenly she was sobbing, and Madison put her arm around Ellen and let her cry.

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_Thanks for reading so far! Leave a review :)_


	5. Chapter 5

_A/N: Hope you're enjoying so far. I own nothing._

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Madison eyed the payphone across the street carefully. She was currently wedged between two cars, stooped low to the ground so that no passerby would see her. She bit her lip – she'd been crouched between the two cars for over a minute now, putting off the moment when she would have to run out into the open toward to the payphone. She feared if she didn't make a move now, she never would. She pulled her cell phone from her bag and checked it one last time, but the "no signal" display shone as brightly as it had every time she'd tried it before. She bit her lip. The payphone it was.

She glanced to the right and to the left one more time, but the street was empty of people. She stood up and ran across the quiet road. The payphone was attached to the wall outside the pharmacy. When she reached the wall, she threw her back to it and glanced up and down the street again. No one. The Roses apparently didn't know she was in Trinity.

Trembling from fear and a heightened sense of her surroundings, Madison pulled coins from her purse and put them into the phone. She picked up the receiver, and to her relief, it was working. _The only payphone in the continental United States left that works_, Madison thought darkly. _And it's in Trinity_.

She punched in the familiar number, the first phone number she had ever learned as a little girl. Her fingers flew over the buttons and soon she could hear the call being connected. _Pick up, pick up, pick up_, she thought desperately, checking over her shoulder again. But no answered the phone – no Seph, no Grace, no John Robert. The call dropped without going to the answering machine.

Madison frowned. The answering machine at her house was working, she had just checked the messages and deleted them yesterday. She knew the machine wasn't full. She inserted another coin and called again. This time, after several rings, a mechanical voice told her, "We're sorry. The number you are calling is no longer in service."

She felt the familiar panic she'd been fighting all morning start writhing in her stomach again. She bit her lip and struggled to keep herself from crying. All she needed to hear was Seph's voice, to tell her he was ok and that Jack and Ellen were wrong and that there was just some big misunderstanding in Trinity. She made the call one last time, but the same message was relayed to her. The call couldn't be connected, and she couldn't leave a message for Seph or Grace to get in touch with her and reassure her that everything was alright.

She slammed the receiver back into the cradle and looked around at her surroundings, terrified. The street was still deserted. Madison had no idea where she should go. She had promised Ellen that she would go and find help, but when she had left the Legends, Jack was nowhere to be found. If – she allowed herself to accept insanity – if the Roses had taken over Trinity, then where was a safe place to go? Where could she go looking for help? She thought of Jefferson Street, and Jack's neighbors – Iris and Mercedes and Blaise. But would they be there? Ellen had said the Weir were being held prisoner. Might Will Childers' Anaweir family be at their home on Jefferson? Will's uncle was a detective, she remembered. Could they help her?

And then suddenly it came to her, the idea into her brain like an embrace from an old friend – _the Dragonheart_. Of course. Jack had said the Roses were trying to figure it out. Madison frowned, thinking of what Jack and Ellen had told her. None of it made sense, of course, but their stories sounded as if… as if Madison had never become the Dragon Heir. That was the problem. The battle had been waged, and lost, because Madison, according to Jack and Ellen, had not been there to end it. That would explain why Longbranch still appeared to have her wizard's powers – she still had her Weirstone. It made no sense whatsoever – Madison remembered it, she remembered the power of the Dragonheart flowing through her body, and the memories of the Dragon and the Lady Aidan Ladhra. She remembered the last moments of the battle, when it had seemed that the Roses were closing in on them, and she came out of the church, as the Dragon and the Lady, and removed the Weirstones of Longbranch and Wylie, winning the battle and essentially scaring the wits out of every enemy wizard there.

But here, now, today – it seemed as if that had never happened. Madison couldn't really believe any of this. Surely it had to be a dream, and a very bad one at that. But she had tried pinching herself already, and that didn't work. And everything was working against her – the terrible truth was there on Jack's face, and growing in Ellen's belly, and there, in the sound of the disconnected call from the payphone.

Madison had no idea what was going on, but she had a goal now – _the Dragonheart. _She paused, listening. She might have imagined it, but she thought she could feel it calling out to her, drawing her toward itself, as it once had. _Jack said the Roses couldn't figure it out_, she thought to herself. If that was true, then they probably had never been able to move it from where they had placed it when Jason first brought it back from Raven's Ghyll – the crypt of St. Catherine's church.

With one last glance up and down the street, she was off and running south through the familiar streets. Once or twice she came across Anaweir, and though she would immediately hide herself behind the nearest car or tree, no one seemed to think she looked suspicious. The streets were eerily lonesome compared to the buzzing college town Madison remembered – even in colder weather, there were usually people strolling around in Trinity. But not now. She supposed it must be due to the Roses, and increased her speed.

St. Catherine's looked the same as ever at first – the pointed Gothic arches and stained glasses windows were just as she remembered them. But then she noticed the damage to the back of the structure – the church looked like it had endured a bomb blast. Rubble had fallen from the back wall of the church and still lay in heaps on the ground, untouched and unrepaired.

Madison had almost walked out and fully exposed herself to the open parking lot when she saw them: two wizards standing guard at the front entrance to the church. She stopped short and flung herself back into the cover of the nearby woods. Thankfully it had turned into a bright afternoon, and the sunlight streamed through the foliage of the trees, creating shadows and light illusions that she could hide herself in. She stopped to catch her breath and gather herself, observing the entrance of the church from behind the trees.

The two men were big, and shone in the light like wizards, though never as brightly as Seph or Snowbeard or even Longbranch ever had – perhaps they weren't as powerful. They seemed bored, and they definitely had not seen her. From their positions – facing out, not looking at each other – Madison supposed they were posted as a watch or guard. Madison hoped that it was just these two, and that no one was inside with the Dragonheart. She didn't want to alert the Roses to her presence in Trinity, let alone start a fight. She knew her abilities would allow her to take out both of the wizards keeping guard – but only if they tried to use magic on her. And there might be more of them, or her actions might put Jack or Ellen or other townspeople in danger. It was a risk she wasn't willing to take.

Luckily, Madison remembered the secret passageway that led from the back yard of the church into the underground crypt where the Dragonheart had been stored. She could only hope that the damage to the church hadn't affected the tunnel. She made up her mind to try and enter the church that way, and went out of her way to stay out of the line of sight of the two guards, retreating far back into the woods and making a wide arc until she was behind the church. She crept forward carefully, looking for more guards, but she saw none. Perhaps the Roses had never found the secret passageway, or perhaps it had caved in and was useless.

As she approached, Madison could see the stone door that blended into the wall. She dashed out of the trees and toward the church wall. She pushed the door, and it opened as it always had. She peered down the long, narrow corridor, now flooded with light from the opening. Everything seemed intact. She slipped in and shut the door behind her. Now she was in darkness, but it was not total – her eyes began to adjust, and she could see that at the end of the very long secret passageway there was light from the crypt - the other door must be open, or at least slightly ajar, so she would have to be cautious when she got to the end of the passage. She moved down the corridor painfully slowly, listening and taking tentative steps.

The Dragonheart was so close now she could almost hear it calling out to her madly. She felt her heart pulsing with excitement at the nearness of the Weirstone. But she contained herself and crept along the passageway slowly, stopping with every step to listen for crumbling rock or the sound of pursuit. Halfway through the corridor she almost felt like she would collapse, crying again, when she remembered that it was Seph who had found this godforsaken passageway. _Seph_. _Keep moving, and this will all go back to normal, and Seph will be fine. _

She was almost at the end of the passage when she started to hear the voices. The voice was murmuring, saying words in a language she didn't understand, but she could make out a light British accent. Madison realized two things in quick succession: first, that it must be a wizard uttering some sort of spell, and second, that she recognized the voice as belonging to Claude D'Orsay.

She froze, terrified. D'Orsay was a powerful and dangerous wizard, that she knew, but what truly frightened her was the image that came to mind – D'Orsay falling, dead, in the battle. Well, the battle as _she_ remembered it. She paused and listened, straining her eyes to see as far ahead as she could. The secret door that opened into the crypt was ever so slightly ajar - it appeared the same attack that had caused the back wall of the church to nearly collapse had shifted the door off of its hinges. She crept forward, noiselessly, slowly, until she was close enough to see through the gap in the door into the sanctuary without being seen. The crypt walls were old and dirty, but intact. The tombs had survived the attack on Trinity. The crypt was lit by candlelight, and Madison could see D'Orsay in silhouette, looking at something she couldn't see. He was frowning in frustration, still muttering spells.

This was it then, she realized with a sinking heart. This was the moment that backed up everything Jack and Ellen had told her, the moment that gave validity to her worst fears. Madison had been banking on the fact that she could explain away how Longbranch got her powers back, and explain why she couldn't get in touch with Seph or her family. She could have kept arguing with Jack and Ellen until she was blue in the face about how they were mistaken. But here was a truth she could not deny, for she knew she had seen D'Orsay die, and there was no way to bring back the dead. Was she hallucinating now? Or had she invented a history for herself that had never happened? She didn't know which world was real. Madison felt herself go weak in the knees. So this meant that Jack and Ellen had told the truth, and that Seph… She would have collapsed on the ground in grief, if not for the fear that electrified her at being so close to the enemy.

Madison watched as D'Orsay's frown turned into a look of rage. But the wizard seemed to compose himself before his anger boiled over. He had stopped speaking. Madison was as close as she dared. She could feel the Dragonheart. It felt like it was shrieking in joy at her proximity – so close.

"I'm sorry, Master D'Orsay," a voice spoke, and Madison almost jumped in surprise. She hadn't realized D'Orsay had company. The voice, husky and rough, came from D'Orsay's left, out of Madison's line of sight into the crypt. She shrank back further into the tunnel anyway. "We've tried everything."

D'Orsay didn't answer the voice at first. He was looking angry, and Madison thought she could see him grinding his teeth in frustration.

"How on earth," he said icily, looking to his left, to the direction the voice had come. "Did it get here if we're not able to touch it now?"

There was no reply from the corner of the crypt. Madison strained to listen.

"You realize what's at stake if we can't control the Dragonheart," D'Orsay continued. He stared into the corner, his eyes narrowed.

There was a pause. "Yes," a third voice answered, sounding clipped, as if it barely contained the rage underneath. There was something familiar about the voice.

D'Orsay continued to stare. "Perhaps you need a little reminder?" his voice was soft but lethal.

"We've been working on this for weeks, okay?" the third voice answered him. "You spend one day down here and think you're going to fix everything? It's not possible. That stone doesn't want anything to do with us."

Madison realized with a start who the voice belonged to, and why it sounded familiar. She had to steady herself against the wall of the passageway to keep from falling over.

The voice belonged to Jason Haley.

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_Dun-dun-duh! :) Thanks for reading! A couple chapters left. Please leave a review!_


	6. Chapter 6

_Thank you all for reading and for the reviews thus far! And sorry for the length between updates with this chapter – alas, vacation makes me lazy. _

_For the reviewer who was wondering, we will get some Linda Downey action in the next chapter!_

_A/N: I own nothing._

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Jason.

Jason Haley. Jason.

_Alive._

Madison truly felt that if she had another shock to her system like this one she might pass out. There was a roaring in her ears that rendered her momentarily unable to listen to what was being said in the crypt. _How could it be?_ Jason was dead. Jason was dead, and Seph was not. But here Jason was, present and speaking in St. Catherine's church, along with D'Orsay, who was also supposed to be dead. And everyone had told her it was _Seph_ who was dead. Seph, who should be at her house in Coal Grove right now. Seph, whom she could not get in touch with.

She pushed her fears away again so she could focus on what was being said in the crypt, but she knew she would have to confront her terrifying confusion soon.

"I expected better," D'Orsay was saying. His voice was low and dangerous.

"We've tried everything," Jason said, sounding exasperated. It won't respond to spells."

"And it won't let you near it?"

"No wizard has been able to get closer than a foot," Jason answered testily.

"No wizard…" D'Orsay murmured. "Have you tried any of the lesser guilds?"

"A sorcerer has tried it, yes, Master D'Orsay," the other rough voice chimed in. Madison still couldn't see who it belonged to, but she didn't recognize the voice anyway. "She was not able to touch it either."

"What about the Anaweir?"

D'Orsay's question was answered with silence. "What would they be able to do?" Jason asked finally, the petulant tone still painfully obvious in his voice. D'Orsay glared back at him.

"Bring one in here and have them try to get to the Dragonheart," he said.

Jason scoffed. "I don't think that would work," he said.

"Try it," D'Orsay said, turning toward the entrance of the crypt to leave. "That's your job, after all."

"It would probably kill an Anaweir," Jason said.

D'Orsay reached the entrance of the crypt and turned around.

"I don't have time to argue this right now," D'Orsay said dismissively. "You'll stay here, Mr. Haley, and continue working on this. Rapier, come with me." D'Orsay turned and left, and Madison watched as the man with the husky voice hurried after him – another wizard, from the look of him. He echoes of their footsteps faded, and the crypt was still. Jason didn't move or make a sound. Madison still couldn't see him, and she inched forward cautiously. The Dragonheart was still calling out to her, filling her brain with desire to go to it. She took a deep breath and pushed open the door into the crypt. She watched as Jason jumped with a start and stared at the opening door as if he expected to see a ghost.

"Maddie?" he breathed, his eyes narrowed at her. "Is it really you?"

"Jason," she said, and she ran and embraced him. She was crying again, but she didn't care– this was _Jason_, someone she had thought was dead, someone who had died to save her and save Trinity. Now here he was, impossibly alive. She could feel his heart beating, feel him take a breath, and he was wonderfully warm and exactly how he always had been – wiry and thin, all long limbs and spiked hair. _Alive._

"Maddie," Jason's voice was shocked, but he patted her on the back. "Don't cry. Are you ok? What happened? Why are you crying?"

How could she answer that question? She ignored it.

"I'm fine," she gasped, pulling back and wiping her eyes. "I'm sorry, I just… I just never thought I'd see you again," she answered truthfully.

"What are you doing here?" Jason asked. _The question of the day_, Madison thought sadly.

"I came back," she said, wiping her eyes. She decided that a simple explanation was all that was necessary. She didn't feel like going through the entire story again, especially when she had so many questions for Jason. "I can help. The Dragonheart – I can use it to take down the Roses."

"You can?" She could see in his expression that his brain was working furiously to comprehend the situation – his long lost friend, who used to disdain everything magic, shows up and wants to use the Dragonheart to overthrow the evil wizards. Madison couldn't blame him for being confused.

"Yes," she said, looking over at it. So beautiful – it had always attracted her. The crypt was dimly lit, with only firelight from the torches hanging on the walls, but the light flickered off the opal stone in glittering patterns that shimmered fleetingly on the walls before changing almost as soon as they had formed.

Jason watched her with a skeptical look on his face. "How do you know you can touch it?"

Madison sighed. "It's a long story."

Jason looked back at her, his gaze probing. "Try me."

She paused before answering. "Because I've done it before."

Jason had opened his mouth to answer when a noise came from the hallway that led to the crypt. Someone was coming. Jason moved quickly: he stiffened automatically, then sprang into action and turned Madison around, marching her back to the door of the secret passageway.

"You can't be seen here," he hissed.

"But-" Madison pushed back against him – _the Dragonheart!_ And she was so close! Just one touch and they wouldn't have to worry about hiding or who was coming. She could feel it, crying out as she was moved away from it. But the look on Jason's face was enough to make her move: he looked genuinely frightened.

"Please, Maddie," he whispered, and she reluctantly stepped back inside the passageway. Jason glanced over his shoulder. "Go back!" he hissed. "I'll meet up with you later!"

"Where?" she asked, terrified. The footsteps were coming closer.

"The Stone Cottage – Seph's old house," he said quickly. "In three hours. Now go!"

She turned and ran, and she heard him push the door shut behind her, and then there was silence in the passage.

* * *

Madison went straight to Stone Cottage of course – what else was she supposed to do? Explore Trinity? See what other old friends she could find while avoiding the Roses? At least for now, getting back to the Dragonheart meant obeying Jason's instructions, and waiting for him at Stone Cottage.

She waited at the cottage for what could have been days or minutes. She was constantly on the alert, listening for the sounds of attack. Upon arrival she had darted inside and checked every room, looking alternatively for traps as well as for weapons to use against any wizards that might stop by. She had spent nearly a quarter of an hour peering out the windows and checking the closets and corners before the full realization of who's house it was hit her.

She had torn through the first floor, checking behind every armchair and pantry door, and was doing a sweep of the second floor when she realized she was in Seph's room. The closet was still full of his jackets and dress shirts. The bed was made, the toiletries and colognes in perfect order on his dresser. A thin layer of dust seemed to have settled on everything. Madison sank down on the bed in shock. Seph was gone, and unreachable, and if this new, horrible world was indeed real, as Jack, Ellen and Jason all proved, then Seph was gone forever. She had no tears anymore; she was cried out. She couldn't tell if she was in shock or if she had reached a begrudging acceptance.

Madison did not know how long she sat on the bed, staring at the room around her. At some point she got up and began to pace around the room. _The_ _only way to describe the feeling is heartsick_, she thought randomly. Her heart actually felt weak. She missed Seph immeasurably. She placed a finger on everything he might have touched – a hairbrush, a razor, the _dyrne_ _sefa_ – the magical totem Jason had given Seph for protection. Seph had never been the overly emotional type, but tucked into the bottom of the mirror frame were several pictures – a photo of his parents, Leander Hastings and Linda Downey; a photo of Jack, Ellen, Jason, Seph and Madison grouped together on the Swift's porch; an old photo Madison had seen once before of a woman she had never met but knew to be Seph's first guardian, Genevieve LeClerc. Last was a picture of Madison smiling – a rare find, as she usually only scowled at cameras.

She sat back on the bed, weak at the knees. With a shiver, she thought of what could have been here – Seph, Hastings and Linda were supposed to have a life in Trinity, together. They had only just been reunited. And the Roses had taken that away from them. She felt a boiling rage in her stomach. Seph – wonderful, handsome, selfless Seph – deserved better than only a few months with his family.

She was jerked from her reverie when the sounds of the front door opening traveled up the stairs to reach her. She tensed, listening. There was silence, and then the sound of the door closing. Then Jason's voice whispered "Madison?"

She bolted out of Seph's room but slowed herself before she descended the stairs, crouching down to look at the entrance foyer. It was Jason, and he was alone. His face relaxed when he saw her.

"Glad you made it ok," he said, his eyes flitting nervously over the parts of the house that he could see from where he stood, making sure they were alone. "Sorry about that. Earlier, I mean. D'Orsay's always got someone around the Dragonheart. It's got a huge guard, and you dropped by right in between shifts."

Madison could only stare back at him. Now that the initial shock of seeing him alive had passed, she felt a warm relief flood through her entire body. But there was a nagging image in the back of her mind as well: that of Jason's body, lifeless after a spell from D'Orsay had nearly torn him in two. She trembled as she walked toward him, not sure whether to smile or cry again.

"I have so many questions," she breathed once she was in front of him. She couldn't tear her eyes away from his face. She wanted to memorize every expression, every look, in the hopes that it would burn away the image of his face in death, when it was void of its familiar smirk.

"So do I," Jason said. He looked uncertain. "How did you get back here?"

"I drove," Madison said. "And Jack already told me how dangerous it is, and how I shouldn't be here, so don't waste your breath. I'm staying, and I'm helping." She put on her best stubborn expression for effect, and Jason cracked a smile.

"You've seen Jack?"

"And Ellen," she said. "I can help, Jason. I don't know how all this crazy happened, but I can help change it."

Jason frowned. "You said… back at the church, you said that you knew you would be able to touch the Dragonheart because… because you've done it before?" Madison nodded, and Jason waited, but she said nothing. "So… Elaborate please."

Madison sighed and walked into the living room. She sat on the couch and gestured Jason to sit across from her, which he did.

"First, let me clear up a couple of things," she said. "Jack and Ellen told me that the Roses took over Trinity and killed Seph. Yes?" Jason nodded solemnly. She continued. "And I heard they want to reinstate the tournaments and everything, which is why they're keeping Jack and Ellen prisoner. So what are you doing for them?"

"The bitch work, basically," Jason said darkly. "They don't see me as much of a threat, but they know that I managed to get into Raven's Ghyll and steal the Dragonheart stone last winter, so they're hoping I can figure it out now. I've been working with wizard morons around the clock to try and crack open that thing and control it." He shook his head. "We haven't been able to figure it out yet."

"But if the Roses are back in power," Madison said slowly. "Why do they need to figure the Dragonheart out so badly? What do they need it for?"

Jason shrugged. "Who knows? They probably want to take over the world with it. Control the Anawizard Weir with it. Don't forget that it's the Dragonheart that gives all the Weir power. They're obsessed with learning its secrets," Jason said sagely, and Madison had to contain her snort of laughter – of course she knew that the Dragonheart gave the Weir power. In another life, she _was_ the Dragonheart.

"Why do you work for them?" Madison said crossly. "Can't you just get away?"

"Unfortunately not, or I'd have been gone a long time ago," Jason said, pulling aside the neck of his shirt and jacket to reveal the bronze collar that encircled the base of his throat. Madison felt her stomach churn in fear – she did not recognize the choker, but the symbols and jewels that graced the hard steel had a distinctly evil look and feel to them. "It's called a torc," Jason explained. "I can't take it off, and it allows them a certain control over me."

Madison winced in sympathy. But Jason shrugged again and covered the necklace with his jacket collar. "That's life in the charming town of Trinity," he said simply. "So – your turn. How do you know you can touch the Dragonheart without being fried to a crisp?"

"I don't even know how to say this without sounding crazy," Madison said softly. "Maybe I am crazy." She took a deep breath. "Yesterday… yesterday was… different. Yesterday I was at home in Coal Grove with my family and with Seph." She paused to watch Jason's expression. He looked as if he was prepared to hear anything, but he looked surprised nonetheless.

"How is that possible?" he asked carefully after a moment.

"I don't know," Madison whispered. "That's why I think I'm going crazy. Or maybe today I fell into a nightmare. See, I remember the past couple of months a little differently then everyone in Trinity seems to. What I remember – and I was there, I felt it, so I don't know how…" She took a deep breath. "What I remember was different. The past was different. The Roses did attack Trinity, but we beat them. And Seph most certainly did not die. He came to stay with me in Coal Grove for a bit, and he was there with me yesterday. And that's the problem – yesterday, everything matched up with how I remembered things. Today… everything's gone screwy since I drove into Trinity."

Jason was quiet for a moment. "Ok," he said quietly. "Well, I don't think you're crazy…"

"It's possible that I am," Madison said shortly. "I'm warming up to that option."

Jason smiled, but she could tell he was freaked out. "So, in your memory – whether that was a dream or a freaking alternate universe or a delusion or whatever – how did we defeat the Roses?"

"Well, it was a group effort," she said awkwardly. "But in the end… I kind of… absorbed the power of the Dragonheart. And it gave me the power to take away Weirstones, so I removed the stones of Longbranch and Wylie. The battle pretty much stopped after that."

"What about D'Orsay? Did he get away?" Jason asked, an angry glint in his eye. Madison remembered that D'Orsay was partially responsible for the death of Jason's father, and so Jason had made it his personal responsibility to destroy the former Master of Raven's Ghyll.

"No," Madison hesitated. "Actually, you killed him."

"Alright!" Jason smiled broadly. "Take me to your delusion, Maddie. Sounds better than this place."

Madison bit her lip. Jason noticed.

"What?" he asked. "If D'Orsay was dead and we won, it has to be better, right?"

"Jason," Madison said. There was no easy way to put this. "It wasn't all better than this. In my memory, we beat the Roses and Seph was alive but you…"

"What?" Jason asked again.

"…You died," she whispered. "You were trying to protect me and Jack from D'Orsay, so you killed him, but you…" There was no need for detail. Jason stared at her, the expression on his face unreadable.

"Freaky," he said finally. He stood and walked back to the large bay windows and stared out of them, quiet for several moments. Madison held her breath.

"But D'Orsay was dead?" he asked suddenly. "And the Roses didn't take over?" He turned back to her.

"Yes," she whispered.

"Well then it's still better," he said simply, and walked back to the couch and sat. "And I literally have no idea what to tell you. Maybe you are crazy," he grinned at her. She was amazed at how well he seemed to be rolling with it. "And in your memory, you got to the Dragonheart?"

"It was your idea actually," Madison said, grateful to be moving away from the subject of Jason's mortality. "You came and got me in Coal Grove and brought me back to Trinity. You said you thought I could do something with the stone."

"I've always thought that," Jason said, looking thoughtfully at her. "I know you seemed kind of obsessed with it when I first brought it back. And I figured you're an Elicitor – magic doesn't seem to affect you."

"You were right," Madison nodded. "I can touch it, and more than that, it's like it's meant for me. I can use its power to stop the Roses. You have to get me to it, but I don't know if it will fix anything," she gulped. "If this is all real, then I won't be able to bring Seph back, but at least I can stop this. You and Jack and Ellen and everyone won't have to be under the Roses like this."

Jason nodded. "If you think it will help, then I will absolutely get you back to the stone," he said determinedly. "I'm thinking I can tonight. My slave labor shift for the day is done around sundown." Madison looked quizzically at him, and he grinned. "The Roses have a party planned for tonight at the Legends, otherwise I'd be working on the Dragonheart all night." He adopted a sort of pseudo-sneer, as if he was trying for an upper-class-nose-in-the-air expression. "It's young Devereaux D'Orsay's birthday," he spoke in a faux British accent, and Madison couldn't help but giggle in spite of herself. "And there is to be a feast tonight in his honor. Everyone who's anyone in Trinity will be there!" Jason grinned and continued in his usual voice. "Which is to say, the wizards of the Roses will be there, and the Anawizard Weir will be cordially not welcome. I think the banquet will be enough of a distraction for me to get you back to the church without any wizard interference." His brow furrowed in thought. "There are a couple more things I would need to work out before we try this, and I need to get back to the Dragonheart now before they realize I'm missing." He looked at her, a determined expression on his face now. "Can you meet me in front of the Legends at eight?"

"In front of the Legends?" Madison asked incredulously. "Isn't that where the party of enemy wizards will be?"

"It is," Jason said. "Which is why it makes it the perfect place to regroup. Weir come and go from there so often that they haven't bothered with spells to secure the place or anything. Security will be watching the rest of the town. Wizards are totally guilty of hubris – they're so powerful that they never look for trouble right under their noses. You know the building – just pretend to be an employee or something. They still do use several Anaweir around the place."

"Are you sure?" Madison asked. It sounded unnecessarily dangerous.

"Positive." Jason declared. "I'm actually supposed to be there, so they can keep an eye on me or humiliate me if they feel up to it. They would actually notice if I didn't show."

"Ok," Madison said. "If you're sure. I'll meet you out front of the inn at eight?"

"Yes," Jason said, standing to leave. He gave her a confident look. "We can do this, Maddie."

"How are you going along with this so well?" she wondered aloud. "I've just told you some crazy story about how there's an alternate universe out there in which you're dead and I'm the Dragon Heir."

"Honestly," Jason said carefully, walking back to the front door. "Before you got here, I was close to the breaking point anyway. Whatever the real reality is, I can't just keep standing around waiting for the Roses to let us go. You being here – maybe that's just what we need to _do_ something. To fight back."

He was almost out the door when he paused and looked back at her one more time.

"I'm really glad you're back," he said, and with one last leering grin Jason was gone.

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_Thanks for reading! Please review!_


	7. Chapter 7

_A/N: I own nothing!_

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Madison's nerves couldn't take much more of this. Darting around from place to dangerous place, hiding behind anything large enough. Presently, she was peering out at the Legends Inn from behind an enormous pine tree. It was the same spot she had talked with Jack earlier, but there was no sign of him. Night had fallen, and with it the temperature had dropped at least ten degrees. A cold wind blew off the lake and made Madison shiver. She was becoming twitchy – all day, she had been looking over her shoulder for attackers. Now every shadow made her jump with fright.

_Calm down, you're acting like a silly girl_, she scolded herself. _You need to be focused right now_. She squinted at the entrance to the inn, looking desperately for any sign of Jason.

The building was set up for a party – flickering candle lights and torches blazed along the grounds, illuminating paths and sitting areas. The large double doors were opened wide, and the sounds of music and conversation floated out. Dozens of wizards dressed in party attire milled about outside the entrance of the inn, talking and laughing.

_Wizard birthday parties_, Madison thought darkly. _What will they think of next?_ She couldn't understand how all of these wizards could be so disarmingly carefree. With all the injustices they were allowing – didn't any of them know that there was a pregnant teenager upstairs? Or that the party they were attending was a product of slave labor? Madison had never understood when Hastings or any of them had tried to explain how the worst of wizards were the ones who saw the Anawizard Weir as less than human. Now she could see it for herself, as she watched the wizards interact with each other so easily. They were careless. They were in power.

Madison was so busy contemplating them angrily that she almost didn't notice Jason disentangle himself from the crowd. He paused and looked around, and she knew he was looking for her. How was she supposed to get to him without attracting attention? But none of the wizards seemed to be paying him any mind. Only one even looked Jason's way, when he pushed him out of his way to the door. Jason glared after the wizard, but didn't move.

_Now or never_, Madison thought, and stepped carefully out of the trees. She walked out of the dark cover of the woods and into the light spilling from the inn, and when she was roughly ten yards away, Jason spotted her. He nodded slightly, then leaned his head toward the front entrance. Then he turned and walked inside. His intention was clear: _follow me_.

Madison took a deep breath and continued walking. She looked straight ahead, hoping she looked like another young wizard on her way to the party. No one spared her a second glance. After all, they couldn't tell her apart in the way that she could them.

Inside, the inn was lit brightly and even more wizards milled about, eating, drinking and talking. It all looked so very much the same as when she had been an employee and a boarder, except never before today had she felt so nervous walking around the Legends Inn. She shied away from anyone who even stepped near her, terrified that someone would realize who she was just by bumping into her. She looked for Jason – where had he gone?

"Madison," someone spoke, and it was the loveliest voice Madison could ever remember hearing. She spun on the spot, recognizing the voice instantly: Linda Downey stood before her, peering at her curiously. "You shouldn't be here."

Madison gaped back at her, momentarily lost for words. Linda, with her ethereal beauty, usually elicited reactions of speechlessness from people, and tonight she looked especially stunning in simple black dress that clung to her body. But that wasn't why Madison couldn't speak. The enchanter was studying Madison with her beautiful violet-blue eyes, but they seemed almost unfamiliar. Madison remembered seeing those beautiful eyes light up when Leander Hastings walked into a room, or spark with anger when Gregory Leicester threatened Seph McCauley. Linda's eyes had always been two of her most striking features, alive and full of depth. Now, though they were the same shape and color, they had a different look to them. Linda's eyes were sad and disinterested, as if they looked without seeing.

"You should go, Madison," Linda said again when Madison's silence continued. "It's not safe here."

Madison was completely flustered, both by Linda's overwhelming beauty and her unnerving stare. "Aren't you going to ask me why I'm here?" was the only thing she could think of to say.

Linda appeared to consider for a moment, but spoke as if she was only humoring Madison. "Why are you here?"

"I'm going to make it right," Madison said. "I'm going to make this right, I promise."

Linda stared back at her with those emotionless eyes. All around them, the party continued, unaware of the conversation between elicitor and enchanter. "You can't make this right," Linda said simply. Her voice was heartbreakingly beautiful and sad.

Madison felt a cold dread fill her stomach as the full realization hit her – Linda had lost her entire family. Hastings and Seph were both taken from her. Did she know anything about her sister, Becka Swift? Madison placed herself in Linda's shoes – what did she have left to live for, exactly?

"You should go home, Madison," Linda continued. There was no urgency in her voice, no worry. Just a statement. "Stay away from Trinity and go home. There's nothing for you here." She winced slightly, and placed a hand to her neck, where a lovely, intricate diamond necklace lay against her pale skin. "I have to go," she said. "Please go home, Madison. Please." She gave Madison one last empty look, then turned without another word and walked away, and soon she was lost in the crowd.

Madison stared after her and tried to blink back tears. Around her, wizards laughed and drank and pushed past her. She suddenly felt very small and very lost.

A hand on her shoulder brought her back to reality, and she jumped. She turned, expecting to find that she had finally been discovered as an intruder, but instead found herself face to face with Jason Haley.

"Come on," he said quietly, and beckoned her to follow him through the crowd. They pushed their way to the large staircase leading to the second floor, and Madison kept her head down, not daring to look any wizard in the face. They hurried up the staircase together and walked quickly around the corner to the second floor landing. They could still hear the muffled sounds of the party, but the second floor was much quieter.

"Glad you made it," Jason said, looking at her. "Are you ok?"

Madison nodded. "Yeah," she said shakily. "Just ran into Linda Downey."

"Linda?" Jason said sharply, and he stopped so suddenly that Madison ran past him before she realized he was no longer in front of her. "What did she say?"

"She told me to leave," Madison said, turning to face him.

Jason looked to be carefully weighing something in his mind. "Ok… hopefully that's not a problem…"

"Why would it be a problem?" Madison wondered.

"Well, I mean, I trust Linda and everything," Jason said with a shrug. "I do. I just worry, that's all."

"Why?" Madison pressed. "What is she even doing down there?"

"She's with Wylie," Jason said.

"What do you mean, 'with Wylie?'" Madison asked, a hint of fear sneaking its way into her voice. She remembered the premier wizard of the Red Rose – he was a nasty piece of work.

"I mean she's like me," Jason said, tapping his neck. She could hear the tiny clink of his fingernails hitting the metal choker. "Wylie's got a torc on her, and she's under his power."

Madison felt her skin crawl. "Why?"

"Well, from what I've heard, he's been chasing after her since she nearly burnt his face off a couple years back," Jason attempted a weak smile, then seemed to think better of it, and just looked at the ground. "When the Roses took over, and they brought Hastings and Linda back from England, I think the original idea was to get rid of Linda too. But in the end, Wylie wanted her, and they figured she was too valuable to kill."

Madison remembered the blank look in Linda's eyes and shivered. Linda had lost her love and her son, and now she was slave to a man like Wylie. Who would want to live like that? The look in Linda's eyes made sense now – she wasn't living, at least not really. She was going through the motions. Maybe that made her pain more bearable. Madison thought she might be sick.

"Linda would never tell him I was here," Madison whispered. "She wanted me to leave."

"I don't think she would either," Jason said. "Slave or not, she's still the Dragon." His face held a look of reverence, as if the tiny enchanter still impressed him even now. "And while she may not actively try to stop the Roses anymore, she definitely would never help them. I just hope no one was watching her talk to you."

Madison nodded, then glanced over her shoulder. Jason did the same, but the hall was still empty.

"Come on," Jason said again, and they hurried down the hall.

"Where are we going exactly?" Madison asked.

"Ellen's room," Jason said, turning the corner and hurrying up the stairs to the third and final floor. "It's a safe spot to meet for now. She won't be having any wizard visitors, at least not tonight."

Together they hurried down the third floor hallway toward the last door. They slowed before they reached the end of the hallway, listening. Everything was quiet. Madison unlocked the bolts and then knocked on the door. Jason hung back, looking over his shoulder, checking that the hallway stayed deserted. Ellen opened the door.

"Madison, thank goodness," she embraced Madison and pulled her inside, then saw Jason. She gasped. "Jason, you're all right-"

"You're looking well, I must say, Ellen," he smiled at her. "Though something's different about you. What is it?"

"Jason," Madison scolded. "Stop that. Get in and shut the door."

"Sorry, no can do," Jason said, looking around at the doorframe at something Madison could not see. "Doc's got this place this place sealed airtight with charms. Longbranch will know if a wizard comes in, instantly, from the look of these. She must really like you, Ellen." He grinned wickedly at her, and she made a face back at him.

"Then how did I get in earlier?" Madison wondered. "Longbranch didn't know I was here."

"Madison, you really want me to explain the enigma that is you?" Jason said, rolling his eyes. "I have no idea how you do it, but magic – even charms barring a door – fade around you. I don't know how you do it, but I can't. It's ok, I'm fine out here; we can't stay long anyway. And I'll hear if someone's coming down the hall."

"What are you going to do?" Ellen asked, looking at Madison.

"We're going for the Dragonheart," Madison said. "It's our only hope."

"But it's heavily guarded, isn't it?" Ellen said, looking at Jason. "There's no way you'll get to it."

"Well, we're counting on a bit of help," Jason said from the doorway, and nodded toward Ellen's open window. All three of them could hear scraping noises coming from outside. Madison felt her breath catch – this was it; they were going to be found out, when suddenly Jack Swift climbed into view.

"Jack!" Ellen's voice came out as a hushed shriek, and she rushed to the window. "How did you get up here?"

"A little help from Jason," Jack said, and hoisted himself through the window and into the room. Ellen threw herself into his arms, and Jack held her tightly. Madison wished she could give them a moment of privacy – she knew this must be the first time they had seen each other in weeks, perhaps months. She turned to Jason.

"What about the charm?" she asked nervously. "Will Longbranch know he's here?" Jason shook his head.

"I thought she might, at first," he said. "But I looked into it this afternoon – she only has this doorway charmed."

Jack and Ellen had broken apart, and Jack was now peering into her face anxiously.

"Are you ok?" he asked, his voice low with concern.

"I'm fine, I'm fine," she assured him.

"And the baby?" he asked. He held her hands tightly in his, and the look on his face broke Madison's heart – he looked simultaneously desperate to know the answer and awkward, as if he wasn't sure if he had asked the question correctly. Ellen looked down at her stomach for a moment.

"Good," she answered finally, biting back a smile that couldn't help but break through the corners of her mouth anyway. She looked up at Jack. "He's healthy."

Jack nodded at first, as if that was what he expected to hear, and then froze. "He?" he said breathlessly. Ellen nodded, looking half worried and half amused. "How do you know?" Jack asked.

"Longbranch was here today," Ellen said, putting a hand to her stomach almost protectively when she said the wizard's name. "She did an ultrasound. And Jack…" she bit her lip in worry and looked at the ground. "She said he's a warrior."

A thousand emotions seemed to pass over Jack's face as she said it. Madison thought he looked as if he had aged by years with those few words. He stared at Ellen with a worried expression and took a deep breath, then looked up and his gaze settled on Jason and Madison.

"You think getting to the Dragonheart will get us somewhere?" he said. His voice trembled with emotion that was just below the surface, but now he looked determined.

"I know it will," Madison answered softly. "We can turn this whole thing around. Make it right."

Jack nodded. "So what's the plan?"

Jason spoke from the doorway. "St. Catherine's is heavily guarded around the clock. There are two wizard guards at the door and another two just inside the crypt, keeping an eye on the stone at all times. But tonight, the Roses will be here and focused on the party, and not as prepared to backup their wizard guard should we attack the church. So tonight's the best shot we've got." He looked around at them all gravely. "Now, I'm not going to be a huge help if we're storming the church. I can throw up some shields for us, but the torc prevents me from using attack magic. That's where you come in, Jack." He locked his gaze on the young warrior, and jerked his head in Madison's direction. "I can protect her, but I can't actually attack anyone with magic, so we'll need you to take down the guard to get inside."

"I can protect myself, you know," Madison said hotly, glaring at Jason. "If the guards are going to attack us with magic, then that's no problem for me."

"True," he grinned. "So I'll just protect Jack then." Jack gave a laughing snort in response.

"No problem," the warrior said. "Consider it done." Jack looked antsy, as if he had been waiting months for a good fight. _Which_, Madison realized, _he probably had_.

"I can help," Ellen chimed in.

"No," Jack growled.

"Besides the fact that you are, how shall we say it - indisposed - you can't leave the room, Ellen. Remember?" Jason said, gesturing to the invisible charm around the doorframe and grinning at her. Ellen frowned in a classic pout, and Madison couldn't help but smile a little: Ellen had always been one to volunteer for a fight, even one she knew she couldn't join.

"Oh, I know," she sighed. "But I have to do something."

"No," Jack repeated, louder this time, and Ellen scowled back at him.

"No, you actually can," Jason said, and Jack shot him a furious look. "She can – without leaving the room. My hope is that the Roses never even realize what's happening until Maddie gets to the Dragonheart, but, if for some reason they do…" he glanced at Madison quickly, then back to Ellen. "Stall them. However you can. Can you see the front entrance from your window?"

"Yes," Ellen answered. Madison walked to the side window and looked out as Ellen continued. "You can see most of the front yard and all of the parking lot from this window, and all of the front yard from the other window."

"So you'll know if they're rushing out after us," Jason said. "So stall them somehow."

Ellen nodded.

"Sounds like a plan," Jason said. "Everyone ready?" The other three nodded. "Ok then. Jack, sorry dude, you'll have to go back out through the window. Longbranch will know if you walk through the doorway. We'll meet you over at Madison's truck."

Jack shrugged. "No problem." He walked back to the window, but Ellen grabbed his hand.

"Please, please be careful," she said, looking at him intently. She turned to look at Jason and Madison as well.

"We'll be fine, Ellen," Madison said. _I hope_. "We'll see you in a bit."

"Alright," Jason said, nodding to Jack and backing down the hallway. "Let's go get the Dragonheart."

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_Just two chapters left! Hope you're enjoying so far! Thanks for reading!_


	8. Chapter 8

_A/N: I own nothing! I hope you have been enjoying so far – I love reviews, good or bad, so feel free to leave one!_

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Jason and Madison moved quickly through the party guests and out into the night. They might as well have been ghosts – no one seemed to notice them. Madison let out the breath she didn't realize she had been holding once they dashed around the side of the Inn. They ran down the street that she had parked her truck on – could it have really only this morning that she had driven into Trinity, unassuming and unafraid? It felt like a lifetime had passed since then. Madison couldn't believe that it was only yesterday she had worried about a silly argument with Seph. Now dread and fear pervaded every other emotion. She held back a sob as she thought of how she would give anything to have an argument with Seph be her biggest concern right now.

They ran through the darkness together toward where Madison had parked. Ahead, Madison could see Jack's tall silhouette next to her truck.

"Ready?" he whispered as soon as they reached him.

"One stop first, then the stone," Jason answered. "Follow me." He ducked and sprinted from the cover of Madison's truck and toward the back of the Legends Inn. Madison and Jack looked at each other, bewildered, then hurried after him.

"Where are we going?" Madison hissed at Jason's back. She glanced over at the Inn nervously. Light poured out from the windows and open doors, but they were protected by the darkness and too far away to be seen. Jason didn't answer. Another cold breeze blew off the lake and swept Madison's hair from her shoulders, and she shivered. The night clouds parted and the moon, almost full, shone down on the lake water. They continued across the wide back lawn of the Legends, and Madison realized where they were headed – on the far edge of the property, half hidden by woods, the Inn owned a small dock and boathouse. In the dark, it would have been almost invisible to someone who didn't know it was there. Jason slowed and stopped in front of the door to the boathouse. He took a deep breath and whispered something incoherent. Madison wasn't sure, but she thought it might be a spell. Nothing, as far as she could tell, happened.

"Jason, what are you doing?" Jack's voice muttered in the darkness.

"I thought you might want this first." Jason strode forward and pulled back the boathouse door. He held it open and looked expectantly at Jack. Jack walked forward warily and into the boathouse. Jason looked back at Madison, and after a moment's hesitation, she too walked inside.

Madison had been inside the boathouse one or twice the previous summer when she worked in the café. She remembered that it was relatively small, with shelves of equipment on the walls and several docking stations for the rowboats and wave runners that the Legends rented out to guests. She stepped carefully, knowing there were tracks in the floor where the boats were docked at night, and below the floor, only lake. She expected to see only darkness inside, but a faint light shone from the far corner. She squinted, trying to identify the source of the light. It seemed to be seeping out of a large locked trunk on the counter. The light brightened visibly when they walked inside, and continued to shine brighter with every passing moment.

Jack was silent as he walked toward the trunk. He tried to open it, but the lid wouldn't budge. He paused and was quiet for a moment. Then he spoke a quiet spell, so quiet Madison almost didn't hear it. The responding click of the lock unhinging itself was so loud in the quiet that she almost jumped. Jack reached up again, and this time the trunk opened.

Madison gasped. There in the trunk was an enormous silver sword with a ruby-encrusted hilt. _Shadowslayer_. Jack reached into the trunk, pulled the sword out and held it out in front of him. It seemed an easy movement for him, like there was nothing more natural in the world than for him to reach into an old toolbox and pull a blade from it. The sword was almost blinding in its brightness now. It was as if it was rejoicing back in its master's hand.

"Figured we could use all the help we can get," Jason said from behind them. Madison could hear the smile in his voice. Jack turned to face him, a look of amazement on his face.

"How did you…?" he started, looking at a loss for words.

"The Roses got to it after the battle," Jason explained. "They've moved it around a lot to keep it hidden – it took me forever to track it down."

Jack looked intently at Jason. The blade illuminated his face, a mix of gratitude and resolve.

"Thank you for this," he said. Jason nodded.

"Ready?" he asked, then turned to leave the boathouse. Jack slipped the sword into its baldric and clipped it to his side, and then they were off and running again.

Madison could feel her heart pounding as they flew through the streets, Jack and Jason on either side of her. Jack was fast – he moved with natural athletic grace and speed. Jason was so naturally lengthy that his legs took impossibly long strides. On any other occasion they could have outstripped her easily. But Madison was all adrenaline now: she felt fear pushing on her from every side, and it made her muscles want to work faster. And the pull of the Dragonheart, so close – she gasped for breath and kept running.

They had almost made it to the parking lot next to St. Catherine's when Madison became aware of a presence behind them. She felt as if she was moving at a breakneck speed, but the presence behind them was advancing rapidly, much more quickly than they could run. The other two sensed it as well – Jason paled and kept running, and Jack spared a quick look over his shoulder.

"The Roses!" he shouted. "Keep going!"

Madison's heart felt as if it would burst, but her legs found a new speed and pushed her forward. The panic was almost blinding – _the door, get to the door, so close!_ Inside the church they would have sanctuary from wizard magic. But the parking lot stretched on and on in front of them.

Suddenly a white hot heat blazed behind them, and a long blue wizard flame stretched up like a gigantic arm between Madison and Jason, barely missing Madison's hip. She shrieked in alarm but kept running.

"Keep going!" Jack roared next to her. "I'll hold them off a bit!" Next moment, he had whirled in place, Shadowslayer braced in front of him, and turned to face their attackers.

"Jack!" Madison screamed, stopping to look back. Several wizards had tailed them, their hands ready to throw more magical flame, and Jack faced them now, spinning flame of his own off Shadowslayer.

"Madison, GO!" Jack shouted. "Get to the church!"

She spun on the spot, Jason right next to her, and together they continued their mad sprint to the church's front door. _Go, go, go, go!_ her mind seemed to scream at her. She could hear the whoosh of flames behind them again, and someone crying out – she wanted to turn to see if Jack was alright, but instinct pushed her blindly forward.

She felt the heat of wizard fire everywhere now, and her mind was so focused on the door that she didn't realize exactly what was happening at first. It took a moment or two before she realized that the wizard flame was coming both from her left and her right now – they were surrounded.

"Keep going!" Jason yelled. She felt him pushing her forward, away from the flame. But the next moment he was gone from her side.

Madison stopped and looked behind again – Jason had fallen to his knees and was clawing madly at the collar on his throat. His eyes bulged in fear and pain, and he looked as if he would scream in agony if only he had the breath to do so. "Maddie, watch-" he choked out before a wizard appeared out of the darkness and knocked Jason to the ground with a spell.

"Jason!" Madison screeched, but before she could move to help him, hands had grabbed her from behind. She felt a momentary sting of pain as the wizard who held her tried to subdue her with a charm, but she shrugged off the magic and pushed it right back at the wizard. She felt him go limp and fall. Free, she looked wildly about her – the stairs to the front of St. Catherine's were mere steps away. She would be able to run inside in seconds. But Jason and his captor were right behind her. Further back, she could see Jack still dueling fiercely against three wizards. Madison was frozen, uncertain of what to do. Behind her, the pull of the Dragonheart was stronger than ever.

She had hesitated for only a moment, but in that single instant another wizard had come from nowhere and grabbed her. This one must have known better, because he did not release power into her to subdue her. She fought against the man's powerful hold, but he twisted her arms up behind her and held them in an iron grip.

"No magic with this one," the man holding her spat. His voice was vicious and horribly familiar. Madison felt her stomach lurch with fear. The man who had captured her thrust Madison roughly into the waiting arms of another wizard, who grabbed her hands once again and pinned them behind her back. She cried out in pain at the rigidness of the position, but the wizard did not relax his grip. Madison looked up into the eyes of the wizard who had spoken – Geoffrey Wylie, the premier wizard of the Red Rose. Wylie wore a dark suit, a long cloak and a smug smile.

"I remember you – McCauley's girl," Wylie said. "The elicitor. Don't use any magic on her," he advised the wizard holding Madison as he walked toward the wizard that Madison had just knocked out, who was now lying face down on the ground. "She'll knock you on your back like poor Smythe here – or worse." Wylie nudged the wizard, Smythe, with the tip of his boot, but the man did not move. Wylie shrugged and walked back toward where Jason was still writhing on the ground, pulling at the torc around his neck, to no avail. The wizard holding Madison followed, towing her along with him.

"Let me go!" she shrieked. "Let me go!" But her struggles were futile – she couldn't move her arms a single inch, and when she kicked her legs and flailed against her captor, he simply held her away from him at arm's length, and she could not strike him. Wylie had turned his attention to Jason.

"Jason Haley," Wylie tutted, staring down at the young wizard with no trace of sympathy. "I told them you were worth more trouble than good. What exactly were you planning tonight?" Wylie's tone was casual and cruel: he knew Jason could barely draw enough air to breathe, let alone speak. The torc shone in the moonlight with a malicious brilliance, as if to chuckle along with Wylie.

"Take it off him, please!" Madison pleaded. "Please, you're killing him!"

Wylie flashed a tight-lipped smile back at her, and she felt her blood run cold.

"Jason here just needs a little reminder of his place," Wylie spoke, loud enough so that Jason could hear over the sound of his own choking. "He's a traitor to his guild, and he'll pay the consequences, every last one of them."

"Please, please," Madison sobbed. "Let us go, let him go, he's dying-"

Wylie snorted. "He would be so lucky." He marched away from Jason and came to stand in front of Madison. "My… colleagues will be interested in speaking to each of you and finding out why you all became so suddenly interested in the Dragonheart. Care to share?"

Madison stared back at him, terrified, but she did not speak. She was acutely aware of the sound of Jason's ragged, weak gasps. At least five other wizards had gathered around them now, surrounding Wylie and Jason. Jason had been wrong, Madison thought with a sinking heart – the Dragonheart had been very well guarded. Wylie's eyes bored into her for a moment more before he turned away.

"Will someone please take care of that!?" Wylie yelled in an exasperated tone, gesturing to the far side of the parking lot, where Jack was still on his feet, Shadowslayer bared in front of him. Two of the wizards he had faced earlier had fallen to the ground in a heap, but the last wizard continued to throw flame and spells at him. As Madison watched, Jack parried a bout of wizard fire, then used Shadowslayer like a baseball bat to return the spell that the wizard had pitched at him. At Wylie's command, two wizards detached themselves from the group around Madison and Jason and hurried toward the duel.

"Jack!" Madison screamed in warning, but it was too late – the approaching wizards were too fast, and Madison cried out as Jack fell, brought down by a combination of their fire and immobilization spells. His yelp of pain seemed to pierce Madison's heart, and she felt herself go weak in the knees for a second.

"Stop, stop, please stop hurting them," she sobbed, helpless and unable to move. Wylie smirked and turned back to the wizards.

"Alright then," he called to them. "Gather them up, and back to the inn. I have a party to attend, and these three have questions to answer."

"No!" Madison screamed. "Let me go, let me go!" But it was useless. The wizard's hold on her was so tight that she was unable to move the entire top half of her body. She kicked with her legs and tried to pull herself out of his grip, but nothing happened. Two of the wizards pulled Jason to his feet and supported his body between them – he was still twitching and jerking around, unable to control his body's responses to the pain inflicted by the torc. The others moved to contain Jack. Madison strained to see him across the dark parking lot through teary eyes – Jack had collapsed and was unmoving.

"Let's go!" Wylie yelled, sounding impatient.

Madison knew she was screaming, knew that she was hysterically fighting to be free. But a part of her brain had removed itself from the scene in the parking lot, and was acutely aware of the presence of power very close by. The Dragonheart had been calling her, calling all day, and she had failed in her quest to be reunited with it. She had failed the stone itself, and its ancient power, and she had failed the entirety of the Weir who wanted to be free from the tyranny of wizards. She screamed and struggled as the wizards pulled her away from the stone, away from her destiny, and forward to her fate.

And now she would never see her family again. It was over. The Roses had won, and the Dragonheart was lost to her.

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_Just one chapter left! Tune in to see what happens. Hope you have been enjoying – please leave a review!_


	9. Chapter 9

_A/N: Well this is it! Sorry about the long wait in between chapters - I wanted to give this one the time and proper attention it needed. _

_Thank you to everyone who has read the story through to the end. I hope you have enjoyed reading "If She Never" as much as I enjoyed writing it. Sad and excited to be done. Let me know what you thought with a review!_

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Madison opened her eyes to the familiar sight of sunshine on Booker Mountain. Everything looked so normal that it took her brain a moment to catch up. She was breathless for longer than she should have been; her body started to tremble in response to the lack of oxygen, and the next moment she had begun to gasp and cough. The air rushed into her lungs, and with it, more panic and confusion.

"Hey, what's wrong?" a voice, filled with heartbreakingly familiar concern, spoke from behind her. "Are you ok?" Seph's hand was on her arm, and she involuntarily jerked away from him.

"Seph!" she tried to gasp, but it came out sounding more like a squeak. Here he was, in front of her, wearing the clothes she had last seen him in – old blue jeans and the t-shirt he'd slept in the night before. He looked exactly the same as he had yesterday morning, except now his face wore a look of alarm.

"What is it?" he asked, his voice urgent now. "Madison, what's wrong?"

"Seph," she cried, and she stumbled forward into his outstretched arms. She could feel herself shaking and sobbing, but his arms were tight around her, and they steadied her. Seph hugged her tightly, then moved her away from his body and held her at arm's length as he peered anxiously into her face. "What is it!?"

"I just- I just," Madison heaved, and put a hand to her mouth. She felt as though she might be sick. She stepped quickly to the edge of the porch and leaned over the railing, retching. Her stomach was empty, but her body was trying to expel something – memories, perhaps.

When she had stopped, Seph pulled her back to the porch swing and made her sit down. He rubbed his hand over her back gently, and Madison wasn't certain if the sensation of his fingertips so close to her skin made her deliriously happy or terrified.

"Not feeling well?" he asked softly. "You scared me for a second there. Is everything ok?"

She looked at him, and did not look away, not for a long time. Seph. Disturbingly real, with his bright and beautiful green eyes, mop of curly dark hair and skin as pale and youthful as ever. His smell, his touch – everything was the same as it was supposed to be. Madison devoured the sight of him, thinking how close she had been to never seeing him again- but wait. _What had happened?_

"Am I dreaming?" she asked him softly. Her voice was weak and scratchy. Seph's eyes widened.

"Er, I don't think so," he said uncertainly. "Madison, will you tell me what's wrong?"

Madison did not immediately answer him, and she felt and saw his body start to tense with annoyance. It was a little quirk of Seph's that was so familiar to her. He looked, smelled, _felt_ so real sitting next to her. But was he? She reached over and took his hand in her own, and she felt his tension evaporate slightly. He had always been patient with her, though she knew she tested him sometimes.

Was it really possible she had… dreamed? She squeezed her eyes shut and willed her mind to help her figure it out. She thought back over what she had seen – what she _thought_ had been the past 24 hours – Trinity, the Roses, the Dragonheart, Jason, Ellen, Jack, Linda, Longbranch, D'Orsay, Wylie. The visions were there, but hazy, as if it had been a dream.

"Seph," she whispered, her voice catching. "How… how long have I been sitting here?"

He stared at her. "A couple of seconds I guess?" he said slowly. "I was just in the kitchen, remember?"

She gulped. She felt another rush of dread and panic. "Do you know where your dad is?"

Seph looked startled. "…He's supposed to be in Britain still. Why?"

"Can you call him?" Madison clutched his hand tightly. "Please?"

Seph looked at his watch. "Yeah of course. But why?"

"Please, Seph," Madison whined. "Please just do it. Make sure he's ok."

After a moment's fearful pause, Seph pulled his cell phone from his pocket and dialed the international number. After a moment's ring, Madison could hear it pick up and Leander Hasting's deep voice on the other end.

"Hey," Seph said after his father greeted him. "I just wanted to check in and make sure everything was ok." He paused and listened to the response, raising his eyebrow at Madison. "Yeah I- …We're ok. I just wanted to check in. Hey, let me call you back in a bit, ok? …Yeah ….Yeah of course." He hung up and looked at Madison. "They're fine," he told her. "Why did you want me to call them?"

"Now call Jack," Madison demanded.

"Madison, please tell me what's going on-"

"I will," she pleaded. "Just please call Jack or your aunt first and make sure they're ok."

Seph dialed, looking exasperated but worried. The call connected and Madison could make out Jack's answer.

"Hey Jack," Seph said. "I'm good, I'm good. How's everything in Trinity?" He waited, listening, still looking intently at Madison. "Ok. And- and your mom? She's ok? …Ellen's ok too? …Yeah, I- it's a long story, I'll figure it out, just making sure I guess. Listen, let me call you back later, ok? Sorry to interrupt." He hung up and addressed Madison. "Everyone in Trinity sounds fine."

Madison breathed deeply. "Ellen too?"

Seph nodded. "They were in the middle of a _plaisance_." Madison exhaled in relief but didn't say anything. "…Do you want to tell me what this is all about now?" Seph asked.

"I…" Madison began, but stopped. What could she say? Where to even start? She rubbed the sides of her temples, willing herself to remember, to figure it out. It seemed as if no time had passed since the morning she had woken up and talked with Seph on the porch. The weather, Seph's appearance – everything was the same. Madison glanced down at herself – she still wore the pajamas that she had slept in the night before. Was it possible her time in Trinity had never happened? She tried to remember. There had been a crash from the kitchen, and Seph had gone inside to sort it out. She had stayed on the porch, doing – what?

"I think I just dreamed something crazy," Madison said, speaking slowly. "I… And you swear I've only been out here a minute?"

"Yes," Seph said. "You had a dream? Just now? Were you even asleep?"

Madison thought. She hadn't fallen asleep – had she? What had she done after Seph left the porch? She was worrying and thinking… about the Dragonheart. Suddenly, she felt a knowledge flicker to life inside of her, and it all made sense. Madison could only watch helplessly as her brain allowed itself to figure out what had happened. She had been thinking about the Dragonheart that morning, and the new powers and responsibilities that came to her after she had absorbed its power. She had been resentful. She had wished she could give it all back. And after she had wished to be normal again, the Dragonheart had shown her what would have happened if she had never become the Dragon Heir.

"I wasn't asleep," she said. "It was a vision. A warning." Madison wasn't sure how she knew this, but even as she spoke she knew it was the truth. Seph frowned.

"A warning of what?" he asked.

"I saw what would have been if I hadn't gone back to Trinity to get the Dragonheart. What would have been if I didn't take the power of the stone," Madison said, looking at Seph.

"But… why?"

"I guess… because the other day – I mean, just now-" Madison bit her lip and looked out at the yard, thinking. "I had this really bad feeling. Like an anxiety, I guess. About the Dragonheart, and having this new power. And I was just thinking about how much I didn't want it, and how I… How I wished I could give it back." She looked back at Seph apologetically. "And the next thing I remember… I was driving into Trinity, and everything was wrong." She buried her face in her hands.

Seph was quiet a moment as he struggled to catch up. "What did you see?"

Madison shuddered. "We lost the battle, because I was never there. In the vision, the Roses took over. Everyone was prisoner. And you…" She trailed off and felt the guilt wash over her like a cold wave. How could she tell Seph that in the dream, or whatever it had been, he was dead? It was too terrifying to say aloud.

"What about me?" Seph asked.

Madison swallowed. "You were… they killed you." The tears came as she remembered the horrible vision. Seph looked back at her, his face unreadable. She swallowed and continued. "And they killed your dad, and Nick. And they had your mom and Jack and Ellen and-" she stopped as she remembered: Jason. _Jason_. If this was the real world, then Jason was gone. She felt her heart sink. To lose him twice was too much to bear. She bit her lip and couldn't continue.

"Hey, hey," Seph said softly, and pulled her into his arms. "It's ok. That's over now. It didn't really happen."

Madison let herself be cradled in his arms. She was usually not one to allow herself to be coddled, but at the moment Seph's arms around her felt like the best thing in the world. They were a natural fortress, and she hid herself behind them. She raised her face to his instinctively and kissed him fiercely. If she had acted differently all those months ago, if she had given up, if she had never been able to get to the Dragonheart, Seph would be dead. She couldn't believe she had been given a second chance with him.

It took several moments, but Madison felt her heart rate begin to return to normal. It was as if she had woken up from the most vivid, horrifying nightmare ever. It was taking a while to adjust to reality, but the sunshine and the familiarity of her home helped. Seph held her hand, and she leaned her head on his shoulder. Seph rocked the swing gently back and forth, his toes trailing on the porch.

Madison thought of Jason. Poor Jason, who had only wanted freedom. She frowned. Seph in this reality, and Jason in the other. She could not have them both. Madison knew she would never be able to tell Seph that in her vision, Jason had been alive. Jason's death still weighed heavily on Seph every day, and if he knew there was an alternate reality where Jason could have lived and Seph died, Madison knew he would let the guilt devour him.

"It was just a bad dream," Seph spoke after minutes of silence.

"No," Madison spoke in a hushed voice. "It was more than a bad dream. It was a nightmare. It was a warning…" She looked up at him and held his gaze. "I know… I know now what could have been, and what I have to be."

Seph frowned. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that this morning, I didn't want this power," Madison admitted. "I had wondered what life would be like if I didn't have to live with this... this responsibility. And the Dragonheart showed me what life would be like."

"I don't understand," Seph persisted. "What do you mean, the Dragonheart showed you? How do you know that?"

"I just know," Madison said simply. She could feel its power inside her, and knew she was right. The heart stone burned brightly in her mind, illuminating the truth that she had tried to keep in the dark. She was unsure of much about the stone and what it meant for her future, but one thought stayed with her: its power was a guiding presence, and it would remain with her. It did not feel like an intruder any longer, now that she had turned and faced it. It felt like a friend, as welcome and natural to her as painting. And it was guiding her still.

"It's like… I know what I have to do now," she spoke slowly.

"You- you do?" Seph seemed hesitant. She smiled at him and he seemed to relax a little.

"I need to stop hiding here and wishing for the past," she said. "Seph, how do you feel about going back to Trinity?"

His eyes widened. "You want to go back?" he sputtered.

"I need to go back," Madison corrected. "That's what I need to do. I need to go back and help rebuild, and help get things sorted out. I have this power now, Seph, and it's my responsibility to be a part of it all."

"But… I thought this was what you wanted. To be away from magic and the Weir and everything," Seph said.

Madison paused. "That _was_ what I wanted. But that vision…" She trailed off, thinking. It was over. The horrible dream was over, and she was so lucky that it was not her reality. "It was the wake up call I needed. I've been trying to hide from the magic. That's why I've been so anxious lately. I've been hiding from my destiny. But my destiny is to _not _hide away from magic. It's to be a part of it, rebuilding our home, and making a new world for us all, with you." She looked at him. He stared back at her long and hard, his face unreadable.

"Ok," he said simply. "Ok. We'll go back." He grinned a little, and Madison smiled back at him before looking out across the yard. The feelings of panic were gone, replaced now with a kind of peace she had only ever felt when painting. The presence of the Dragonheart burned inside her, and it was right.

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_What did you think of the ending? Let me know! _

_Thank you again for reading! It's been a long, fun journey._

_Terra_


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